Gambia: The New Gambia Are We Ready For Business – Freedom Newspaper

The new Gambia reminds me of the revolutionary struggles against colonialism waged and won by countries like Angola, Guinea Bissau, Zimbabwe and South Africa. Those struggles, like ours for this new Gambia, involved all and sundry from the opposition politicians to the Gambians living in the diaspora, to the market woman and the cripple in his or her wheel chair. This new independence was fought and won by all. Now that President Adama Barrows government is appointing the new ministers and technocrats to usher in the new Gambia, business as usual will no longer be viable.

History has recorded the earth moving contributions of ancient Greeks such as Aristotle, Thales, Socrates, Archimedes and Pythagoras in the fields of Science, Philosophy, Mathematics and Astronomy, etc. The common thread among all these great thinkers was that they all went to Ancient Egypt and studied under the tutelage of Africans. They might have been going back and forth to Ancient Greece as semesters in their bling blings during school recesses; nonetheless, they all completed their studies and went back to Ancient Greece. Their contributions have positively affected the rest of humanity until this day. That spirit of civilization and nation building can be ushered in The Gambia with the dedication, contribution and hard work from all Gambians. The idea of self-entitlement and that; government is the answer to all problems have to undergo collective and societal repudiation.

One of the biggest contributors as a block for the victory of President Barrows coalition government is the Gambian Diaspora. These Gambian citizens abroad contributed moneys, moral support, political advice and logistical support among many. They are more than ever needed to be involved in the socio-economic development of this new Gambia. Some of them may be hired as technocrats and bureaucrats in this new government but the vast majority who have technical and /or business experience may rather opt for the private sector instead. Many Gambians abroad are endowed with successful careers in Business, Finance, Engineering, Information Technology, Manufacturing, Management, Mass Communications, Agronomy, Mechanized and Commercial Farming & Fishing, Medical fields and Pharmacology to name a few. These avant gardes in the Diaspora like the Ancient Greeks who studied in Ancient Egypt, must not be ignored or sidelined in this new Gambian dispensation.

The coalition government has a duty to engage this block of Gambians to entice and reverse the brain drain, help repatriate their capital (human and material) back home and to create a more business friendly environment. It is said that, the dollar goes to where it is appreciated and this is a cardinal truth in enticing capital and investment. Where there is a flow of investment, there are jobs being created. We have seen the flight of capital and investment, the collapse of the light manufacturing industry, the collapse of the agricultural sector, the collapse of the re-export trade, the dwindling of tourism, and many more sad realities. Our youths have adversely become casualties of the debacle of a dictatorial system. Where there are no jobs or hope for the future, the back way becomes the viable alternative.

This coalition government is mandated to politically and legally clean up the mess created during the last 22 years and tidy it up to a level playing field for the future governments to come. We do not expect for this coalition government to embark on massive white elephant projects. Instead we are looking forward to constitutional reform, electoral reform, investment and tax reform, diplomatic reform, international treaty reforms, etc. Business as usual is no longer viable. The involvement of Gambians in the diaspora is urgently needed if this new independence is to be sustainable. It is not wise to totally relinquish and partition off your economy to outside forces whose bottom line is to transfer abroad whatever gains they make here. Heavy Gambian participation and stewardship of the economy are vital. These are some recommendations for the coalition government:

Similar policies are currently being manifested in countries like Ethiopia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ghana and Botswana. No wonder most of them are called the Economic Tigers of Africa today.

We are witnessing the support coming from the European Union and the World Bank. These funds must be put into good use. The government should avoid creating more and more bureaucracies. It is my opinion that when only bureaucrats meet to design policies regarding job creation and tax relief, more unnecessary levels of bureaucracies result instead of jobs being created. Consultation with the private sector in developing policies is vital. Besides youth training schemes, capacity building and deficit spending reduction, etc., some of these funds should be allocated for tax relief to potential Gambian Diaspora investors and suffering businesses at home to help bring back the many private sector jobs that have been lost over the years. If the government succeeds in creating an environment for a more vibrant private sector economy, self-entrenchment, redundancy and corruption in the public sector will dissipate significantly. Worthy civil servants in the public sector will briefly serve their quota in government knowing that they can join a vibrant private sector eventually. The sense of nationalism has dawned in this new Gambia thereby requiring a paradigm shift. Policies of the 20th century may not be practical in the 21st century. The first republic ingeniously developed the re-export trade into a successful sector. The second republic squandered that sector thereby giving Senegal the competitive edge. Subsequently our re-export trade volume and currency adversely suffered. So we must not cry over spilt milk or play second fiddle in the re-export trade competition given the reality of our geographical disadvantage. We must think outside the box again to steer Gambia into a brighter future. We must think and act globally in making and selling products and services that are unique and second to none. In closing, I believe that the new Gambia will be ready for business.

Written by: Musa Sallah, Brufut, The Gambia

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Gambia: The New Gambia Are We Ready For Business - Freedom Newspaper